By Clive Mutame Siachiyako
A large part of the Zambian population is young and will in the next
few years seek employment. Many of them are at crossroads today, trying to find
answers to what they want to or what they can do in their careers. It is imperative
that every individual is equipped with at least a skill such that they can earn
their livelihood and contribute within their families. An overview of the TEVET
sector is important to help career explorers, policy makers, parents and
stakeholders in deciding pathways to pursue in policy making, sector investment,
career options or initiatives to improve the sector.
This overview shows grey areas in TEVET and responsive strategies and
innovations to address them and leverage TEVET's role in meeting labour market
demands for skills development as well as i) job and wealth creation, ii) national
goal of attaining the middle income status by 2030 and iii) industrialisation
vision of the country in 2064 or iv) value addition, among others.
TEVETA uses government pronouncements, goals and visions as action plans in consultation with stakeholders in addressing grey areas in TEVET. Key questions in addressing these issues could be on: i) what kind of skills are needed to meet national goals and visions taking into account the country’s comparative advantage in terms of geographical position, weather and natural resources endowment?; ii) how are those skills going to be developed, in what quantities and in which sectors (strategies for skills development)?; iii) what challenges may emerge in developing required skills and how those challenges can be addressed?; and iv) what action plans are required at implementation and policy levels?
The main highlights of the TEVET sector are presented in five pillars
as below:
Pillar 1: State of TEVET – Access and Participation
There is an increase in the number of training providers offering institutional qualifications, which are not recognised on the Zambia
Qualifications Framework. An institutional qualification is awarded by a
training institution rather than TEVETA or TEVETA accredited examination board
contrary to TEVET Amendment Act No. 11 of 2005, Section 5 and subsections 2 (J,
K and M). TEVETA is mandated to award qualifications and accredit foreign
examination boards to award qualifications in Zambia according to TEVET Act
Number 13 of 1998 read with Amended Act Number 11 of 2005. This Act mandates
TEVETA to offer qualifications in TEVET as well as accredit examination boards
in the sector for quality assurance purposes and standardisation of assessments
(TEVET Amendment Act of 2005 section 5, subsection J).
Questions have been raised on the status of qualifications examined by
training providers. Individuals with institutional qualifications in TEVET
should know that those qualifications do not have a national recognition. The
qualifications cannot be placed on the
Zambian Qualification Framework or as entry for further studies. Although some employers accept them either due
to lack of knowledge of their status or otherwise, the papers do not meet
national recognition requirements as TEVET institutions do not have legal
mandate to examine and certify learners.
Demand for training and learners’ unawareness has created a fertile
ground for offering institutional qualifications. Time and resources are
unfortunately invested into qualifications that do not carry their prima facie
value. Information, Education and
Communication have been some of the measures TEVETA is using to help learners
not to invest into training qualifications that are not recognised. But when engaging
institutions offering such training is not working as desired, law enforcement
will be engaged to help avert the problem.
In addition, training has remained concentrated in 4 provinces along
the line of rail (Central, Copperbelt, Lusaka and Southern provinces)
disadvantaging provinces off the line of rail. 82% of training institutions
registered by TEVETA are in the 4 provinces (see chart and table below). The
areas away from the line of rail i) are denied access to training, ii) have
limited skilled persons to drive and stimulate development in their locations,
and iii) import skilled labour to undertake government and other projects, hence
depriving such areas income.
Government policy to construct new Trades Training Institutes is key in
increasing access and participation in TEVET and empowering people with
lifelong skills required in adding value to products, job and wealth creation,
and meeting medium and long term national development goals.
Furthermore, there is a shift
from technical/vocational training to business training in TEVET institutions.
This threatens Zambia’s competitiveness in the region (as artisans/technicians
and other skilled persons required in the country’s economic mainstays of mining,
tourism, agriculture and other sectors) will be in further short supply.
Strategies such as 20% construction contract allocation to local people may not
be actualised amid inadequate skilled Zambians to undertake them. The shift may
put Zambia into a more consumption and trading country position instead of
production and value adding to earn more from the resource endowment. Job
creation, wealth and industrialisation are risked when skilled persons to drive
the process are in short supply by training providers.
Pillar 2: TEVET financing – sustainable financing
Efforts to increase access to TEVET and improve efficiency/productivity
among SME/Informal sector players have been made through the provision of
funding. Both donor driven and government financing has been provided by
TEVETA. The introduction of the Skills Development Levy, which translated into
the establishment of the Skills Development Fund (SDF) is valuable financing
window for improved TEVET. The SDF was established under the Skills Development
Levy Act Number 46 of 2016. The Levy is 0.5% of the wage bill to an employee
every month.
The Levy is however not payable by employers in the i) public service
or local government, ii) employers who annual turnover is below K800, 000
(eight hundred thousand Kwacha), iii) public benefit organisation approved
under the Income Tax Act and iv) Minister. Besides the SDF, the African
Development Bank’s Support for Science Education and Training Project (SSTEP)
provides funding to TEVET. More than K10.8m has been disbursed for SME/Informal
sector and out of school youth training mostly for self-employment in 2016 and by June 2017 for the benefit of more
than 5, 000 learners.
The principle objective of SSTEP is to increase access and improve
quality and equity of science and technology in the three Higher Education
institutions, namely University of Zambia, Copperbelt University and Mulungushi
University. The other objective is to increase access and improve quality and
equity of science and technology in the Trades Training Institutions, namely
Northern Technical College, Nkumbi International College, Choma Trades Training
Institute and Lukashya Trades Training Institute, in line with Zambia's Vision
2030 priorities on Skills Development.
One of the components towards increasing access and quality of science
and technology in TEVET is enhancing Work-based and Entrepreneurship Skills;
which covers Skills and Entrepreneurship training for out-of-school Youths and
SMEs. SMEs/Out of School youth training is done through TEVETA registered
institutions. Funded training has been in i) agriculture (poultry management, pig production, fish farming,
horticulture and vegetable production, bee keeping and goat production), ii) construction (carpentry and joinery,
bricklaying and plastering, plumbing and sheet metal, power electrical), iii) engineering/manufacturing (metal fabrication, automotive
mechanics, diesel mechanics, vehicle body maintenance and refinishing, design
and fashion, welding) and iv) tourism/hospitality
(food production, wildlife safari guiding, safari driving, canoeing, and camp
site construction). The funding targeted SMEs, out of school unemployed youth
and entrepreneurs needing up or reskilling.
TEVET fund is an economic regulatory tool. Training providers funded
have to meet required standards and align training behaviour with government
policy and quality of training. Pre-assessment of training facilities in
institutions applying for funding is done to ensure conformity to training standards.
Pillar 3: equity and inclusiveness – gender parity
Technical and science programmes (from craft, technician and
technologist) are male dominated in TEVET while business ones are dominated by
females. Assessment and certification statistics from 2010 to 2016 show that
the trend in technical and science programmes has remained the same and
fluctuated in business programmes. For the period 2010 – 2016, 92% of learners
in technical programmes were male and similarly 56% in science programmes were
male. In 2016 alone, 94% of the learners in technical programmes were male
compared to females. In the same year, the gap was at 16% in favour of male
learners in science programmes. Most of the females in science programmes
pursue nutritional courses (hospitality related), hence the narrow gap with the
males. However, when it comes to business/social science programmes, female
learners as shown in the table below:
The trend, although similar in technical programmes at trade test
levels and skills awards; the number of female learners in science at these
lower levels is higher as shown in the trade test table. This means, the higher
the level, the less the number of female learners getting into these
programmes. Lower numbers of females in technical and science programmes limits
their participation in technical and scientific world of work or research. They
have concentrated on social sciences, business and hospitality programmes.
TEVETA believes that the increase in the number of Technical Girls’
Schools might change the current status quo. Girls with technical and science
career inclination and strengths may come into tertiary education in numbers
similar to boys. Providing incentives such as scholarships and employment
quotas for girls with technical and science based training might help narrow
the mismatch.
Technical and science training is significant in strengthening Zambia’s
ability to; i) add value to raw materials for more earnings, ii) innovating
ways of efficient production, fighting diseases (diagnosis/treatment), utilising
ICTs in commerce and trade to ease doing business, and iii) developing a
competitive labour force in attracting investment. That is, having relevant and
adequate skilled persons to drive and realise return on the investment.
Pillar 4: TEVETA developed and approved Curricula– curriculum
development
As at 31st December 2016 TEVETA developed, reviewed and approved 247
curricula at technologist, technician, certificate, trade test and skills award
levels. 53 of the curricula were at technologist level, 22 technician, 57
certificate, 89 trade test and 41 at skills awards. It is TEVETA’s mandate to
develop and review curricula in consultation with industry to ensure it remains
relevant to industry requirements from learners.
Pillar 5: strategies to improve quality of TEVET
New ways of improving TEVET are pursued constantly to make it more
responsive to skills development needs and labour market requirements. Among
them are: i) Work, Innovation and Skills Competitions Based TEVET Learning
System and ii) Recognition of Prior Learning.
Work, Innovation and Skills Competitions Based TEVET Learning System is
a collection of complementary activities and experiences designed to enable
individuals acquire the Knowledge, Skills, Attitudes and Values (Competences)
which with time, professional practice, mentorship and/or incubation support
should help them transform into internationally competitive skilled persons
exhibiting the following attributes among others: i) international skilled performer ii) critical thinker,
iii) entrepreneurial and innovative problem solver, iv) effective and ethical
leader, v) productive and responsible citizen, vi) Science, Technology,
Engineering Mathematics (STEM) literate, and viii) climate change resilience
and adaptation agent.
The Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process by which
individuals can claim and gain recognition towards specific national
qualifications based on demonstrated learning that has occurred at some time in
the past. Therefore, RPL recognises knowledge, skills and attitudes that have
been acquired in other forms of learning that were not certified. RPL involves
documentation, validation, assessment and certification of learning that is
acquired outside formal training (traditional or classroom) system.
